Last weekend we decided at the last minute to have a couple of days in Ottawa. We really like Ottawa and for us it is extremely easy to get to and much much less hassle and stress than driving into Toronto. We usually take the scenic route via Highway 7 rather than the 401 which makes for very pleasant drive. The drive was especially nice as the tree are turning now and the colours, although not at their best were lovely.
We stopped off at Perth for the obligatory Tim’s and on route we stopped off at an outdoor shopping area, visited an outlet centre and had dinner. We then drove to our hotel which was the Hampton Inn where we have stayed a few times before. This hotel is very nice and although not in the centre of the city there is a bus which stops just along the road which takes you straight into town in about 20 mins. The fare is $3 each person each way which is cheaper than paying for all day parking in the city – and easier to navigate.
Here is a quick snap of the hotel room I took with my little pocket camera.
We stayed at the hotel that evening and didn’t really do much at all. The following day after a nice free breakfast we got the bus into town and spent the day wandering round the mall, the street and of course around the Parliament area. We also wandered around the locks and took a nice walk alongside the water. Eventually we had dinner in town and then went back to the hotel with very sore feet, then chilled.
The next morning after breakfast we made our way back home via Ikea. All in all a very nice weekend. The weather stayed lovely. It was warm and dry and since our visit we have had cold, wet weather, so good timing.
We decided rather suddenly to take a few days off and visit the good old US of A. We wanted to go somewhere for a couple of days only, so did not want to travel too far. After considering various options we decided on Rochester as we had never been there before and it seemed to have some good shopping options and was almost exactly opposite Belleville across Lake Ontario.
We left on Thursday morning and although the sky was overcast it looked as if it would be okay. We took the border crossing at 1000 Islands as it is always quiet there and sure enough we were the only ones waiting. We had to go to the office to get a visa waiver etc but after 15 minutes and a very nice border guard we were on our way.
The interstate was very quiet and the journey uneventful. We had to pick up a toll ticket on the I90 and half way along this road it started to rain, then it really rained heavily. We exited the toll road at Rochester and paid our $3.60 then found the hotel (Residence Inn) with the help of our very good GPS.
We checked in at around 2.30pm and were given a king suite in the tower section. This is at the rear of the hotel away from the traffic of the main road. The suite was nice and was like a small apartment. Here are some pics.
Kitchen area
Seating area
Bedroom
It also had a bathroom with bath, shower and toilet and a separate vanity area with closet.
Bathroom
Vanity
After getting unpacked and having a hot drink we lazed around for a while then decided we were hungry and so went out for an early meal. We saw there was an Applebee’s nearby so went there. We had a very nice meal and then went back to the hotel. We were going to have a drive round but it was really pouring with rain so we decided not to bother and start the tour of the area on Friday instead when better weather was promised.
On Friday we got up and had our complimentary breakfast which was okay. We wanted to do some clothes shopping and had found a number of malls in Rochester to visit. In all there were four in the city so we thought we would do two Friday and two on Saturday. We went to the first – Mall at Greece Ridge Center and found it to be quite large with all the usual shops. By now the weather was really nice and it was very sunny and in the early teens temp wise. The mall had a glass roof which made the sun very bright and the mall very warm. After about an hour we decided to leave and visit another mall. This time we went to the Marketplace Mall. This was smaller but still a good mall. However we spent only a hour or so there and was ready to leave. We then decided to visit one of the malls we were going to save till Saturday, the Eastview Mall. This was a nice mall, very well laid out and bright without the glaring sun and heat. Again though, we had completed the mall in a couple of hours, so decided to make a day of it and go to the fourth mall. This was Pittsford Plaza which was described as a affluent mall in a affluent area. Well we were disappointed in this one. It was an outdoor mall, which because of the great weather was not a problem, but there really wasn’t much there. We basically walked the length and were done.
So, we had a very full day of malls and were “all malled out” by the end of it. We ate at TGI Fridays which although my food was fine, hubby was not impressed with his. We also felt very rushed by the server who was asking us if we wanted dessert whilst we were still eating out main course – we said we weren’t sure yet – and then bought our bill a minute later. We decided that if we wanted dessert we would get it elsewhere and left.
On Saturday we decided that as we had done all the malls in Rochester and bought very little we would drive across to Buffalo. Again we had never been there so a new experience again. It isn’t far from Rochester, about an hour and a very easy drive. We went to the Walden Galleria Mall which was huge. This was by far the best mall we had been to and we can recommend it. We actually managed to spend several hours here and bought quite a few bits and pieces. After this mall we decided to go to the designer outlet mall we had read about in Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls, NY is only a short drive from Buffalo and we found the mall easily. This is a very large indoor designer outlet mall and we again managed to spend quite a long time here and also managed to spend some money. We ate at Applebee’s as it was the only eatery at the mall and we were starving.
After this we made our way back to the hotel and stayed in for the night.
On Sunday we packed up, had breakfast and left the hotel. On the way back we stopped off at another outlet mall but this one turned out to be an outdoor mall and it was raining, so we didn’t stop. Instead we drove to Syracuse and spent a few hours at the Carousel Mall which we had visited before. Spend a few more dollars and then drive back to the border, in the rain. Crossed the border quickly and easily and got back home to lots of unpacking.
Back the the day to day stuff now – and lots of washing and ironing!
